[] Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Seisou hen (SVWC-1010)

Again, like what I did with my Gunslinger Girl OST review where I highlight a few tracks that I felt was representative of the album. For those who can’t be bothered to read the whole thing (and I don’t blame you), there’s always the summary.

Overview:

Until recently, Taku Iwasaki was up there as one of my favorite anime composers. With the release of the Black Cat OST and the Yakitate!! Japan OST, he has decidedly slid down the road to mediocrity. However, that doesn’t overshadow his previous works which were of very high quality. The Rurouni Kenshin Seisouhen OVA OST remains my favorite Iwasaki work to date and probably the last OST of his that I would consider awesome in its epicness. His brilliant use of the themes succeeds in bringing a sort of nostalgic quality of a bygone era as well as illustrating the life of Kenshin, a man who was unable to find a sense of happiness and closure until the very end and Kaoru, a woman who was separated, but eventually united with the man she loved.

Body:

The first 4 or so tracks that open up the album all have a sort of gloomy, yet longing quality to it. They cover quite a range of subjects, most of those dwelling on their past as though both Kenshin and Kaoru are looking nostalgically to happier times at the dojo. It all starts with “On the Pier,” which illustrates the first scene where Kaoru is waiting at the docks nearly every single day for Kenshin to return home from his journeys abroad. The piece opens beautifully with a melody played by the violins and the oboe. From the way the piece finishes, there really is no resolution. That fits with the fact that Kenshin still has not returned and Kaoru must continue to wait.

The second track, “An Old Patriot” is the first of the moodier pieces. The gloomy atmosphere in this piece is perfect in its description of the chaos and uncertainty that reigned at the end of the Revolution as well as some dwelling back on to Kenshin’s past during the Revolution. The theme that’s present here can be heard in many tracks later on, most notably in “Living Sin.” In a way, there’s a sort of burden to it, representing the burden of the deaths for which Kenshin was responsible. This piece, and the ones after it, gives off a sense of atonement as he seeks forgiveness.

All of the gloominess takes a turn to a sense of urgency starting with “Indigo.” Here, a piano introduction plays a hurried tune until the violins jump in. My memory of the OVA is a tad hazy, but I think this is played in one of the action scenes. The intensity throughout this piece is excellently done and fits the battles that Kenshin must fight, both against other swordsmen and against his own sins, perfectly.

The sense of urgency and action continues in “Revenge of the Ghost.” This piece evokes an image of a person battling his own internal demons and losing. The discordant opening and the bells work to bring this image about. The violins and percussion carry that along a step further with its dominating melody which crescendos and then begins falling as a sense of defeat enters. The piece transitions halfway into a march as though the person struggling is trying to recover, but is still too wounded to do anything. It closes out on a less-painful note. The oboe’s melody in this section comes in like a balm to heal the wounded and ease the pains that the person has endured.

“Duel in the name of love” is probably the most exciting piece on this album in terms of the intensity of a duel as one fights for revenge and the other, too protect his loved one. This piece strongly evokes an image of two warriors duking it out on the sands aided by an intense percussion beat and the violin staccato. Midway during the piece, a sense of doom is brought in as it appears one of the swordsmen have fallen, but even that is momentary. It closes out on a pretty depressive note as well as the nostalgic melody played from “On the Pier.” All in all, this is probably my favorite track in this entire album owing to the way it allows me to vividly recall the duel between Kenshin and Enishi as well as the resolution of the battle in which Enishi comes to terms with what happened to his sister.

“Heart of Sunrise” is probably the most optimistic piece and is probably my second favorite piece. It serves as the start of the resolution of the entire OVA, beginning with the horns that play a fanfare to signal the arrival of a new day where things can begin anew. The way the piece manages to give off a warm feeling of hope in addition to its epic finish is probably what makes it so good. It suggests that Kenshin is capable of conquering his inner demons and in doing so, is able to return home. Towards the middle, there is a sense of eagerness as he can’t wait to return home and see his family. The last parts of the piece give me the sense that he has triumphed and is able to atone for what he did.

After all that intensity and pessimism, the album chooses to end calmly with “Pie Jesu.” I enjoyed how the track combines themes, but in such a way as to bring a sense of closure and equilibrium to the story. Here, the introduction is played out with the piano before the oboe comes in and plays a melody to suggest that Kenshin is finally at peace. All in all, it’s a fitting end to commemorate his life as he earns a well-deserved rest.

Summary:

Probably the first thing any listener will notice after going through the entire album is the frequency of which the themes are used. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen the OVA, but every piece complements the scenes perfectly and adds greatly to the viewer’s own experience. There are very few albums out there, anime or otherwise, that can match up to the intensity or emotion that this soundtrack has to offer with its epic themes and the themes that evoke a sense of struggle, but also of a triumphant finish where Kenshin succeeds in overcoming the past and return home.

Rating: 5/5

Jam it back in, in the dark.